With the decisive encounter approaching, the former Super Eagles coach said his players are ready for the challenge and believes the positive atmosphere around the team can translate into a strong performance on the pitch
Rivers United Technical Adviser Finidi George has called on football fans in Akwa Ibom to turn out in numbers and support the Nigerian champions as they look to secure a place in the next round of the CAF Champions League.
With the decisive encounter approaching, the former Super Eagles coach said his players are ready for the challenge and believes the positive atmosphere around the team can translate into a strong performance on the pitch.
“This is our last training, so the players are sharp, and we are ready to go. I like the positivity in the crowd. I hope we can transmit that to the game proper tomorrow, and hopefully we will get the result that we all hoped for.”
Finidi also explained the decision to overhaul a large part of the squad going into the new season, insisting the changes were necessary as Rivers United seek to move beyond the level they reached in the previous two campaigns.
According to him, the decision was not solely influenced by their failure to progress from last season’s Champions League group stage, but also by the need for fresh energy after finishing as league runners-up in two consecutive seasons.
“We had to, we had to bring in a lot of players. Not just because we lost out, or we didn’t do well in the last group stage Champions League, just because we’ve been second in two consecutive seasons.
“I think the players that we had, they reached their top. They cannot give us more than what they gave to us in the last two seasons.
“We needed fresh energy, fresh and younger players. That was why we made that decision to bring in a lot of new players and younger players.
“Going forward, I think these players are good players. We hope they can perform at this highest level.”
The Rivers United boss remains optimistic about what the revamped squad can achieve, particularly on the continental stage.
Having watched San Pedro closely during the first leg, Finidi believes Rivers United have enough quality to finish the job in Uyo and advance to the next preliminary round.
“From what I’ve seen in the first game, I’m optimistic that we’re going to go through and play the next round of these preliminaries.
“So, yeah, last season is gone. We’ll try to work on what we felt didn’t work last season, especially in the Champions League. I’ll see if we can do better.”
The first-leg draw left the tie finely balanced, but Finidi insists Rivers United are not approaching the competition merely to make up the numbers.
The Pride of Rivers are targeting improvement in all competitions, including a serious push for the Nigeria Premier Football League title.
“It’s not just to compete, we also want to win games. Last season we couldn’t win a match in the Champions League, even though we had the opportunities here to have won against Berkane and Pyramids, and at the end of the day, we lost.
“So, we want to do better in the League, which means we’re going for the League title. We’ll see where the group stage will bring us to.”
Rivers United reached the CAF Champions League group stage last season, but Finidi wants his new-look side to go further this time.
For me, this is our home
One of the major talking points ahead of the second leg is Rivers United’s use of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo as their home venue for continental matches.
For Finidi, however, the stadium already feels like home, and he has appealed to Akwa Ibom supporters to see Rivers United as a Nigerian team representing the country.
“For me, this is our home.
“Rivers United have been coming to this place for a couple of years. So, personally, since this is a Nigerian team, I personally urge the Akwa-Ibom fans to come out and support the Nigerian team.
“Not just the Rivers United, but the Nigerian team. If you can do that, which I expect them to do, it will go a long way.
“So, I want to beg the fans of Akwa-Ibom to come out and support us. We need their support. So, when the game ends, at least, we’ll do our own part to make them happy.”
He added: “So, I beg them to come out and support the Nigerian team. I’m not even calling Rivers United, it’s a team from Nigeria. So, I beg them to come out and support us.”
[Credit: Rivers United Media]
Manyo challenges young players to seize opportunity
Rivers United captain Stephen Manyo also spoke about the significance of the game, particularly for the younger members of the squad who are hoping to use continental football as a springboard for their careers.
Manyo believes the Champions League provides an important platform for players who dream of eventually reaching the biggest leagues in Europe.
